Burning Ice
by TenshiXXX
Summary: The life of a slave seems inescapable. He was born a slave to his family, became a slave to his country, and ended up enslaved to an insufferable ambassador. Nara Shikamaru. What an enigma- but one Neji plans to solve. ShikaNeji Master/Slave.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Soragoto Kaibutsu stroked his stubbly chin thoughtfully as he observed the trussed up prisoner from the safety of his observation room. Through the strategically placed cameras, he could watch the boy from all angles as he slept in that uncomfortable position, denied the basic human right of freedom. Although Kaibutsu was aware that many people would consider this treatment barbaric, he could not bring himself to share the sentiment. The boy was attractive, and Kaibutsu had a fetish for bondage and pale, untouched skin. He licked his lips slowly, remembering the cavity check he had performed himself on the brunet, relishing his tiny winces as he probed the tight, clenching heat while the brunet remained limp due to the lingering effects of the drug. He smirked. He always made certain that he got to examine the beautiful ones, as one of the perks of his seniority.

What a lovely sight the pale brunet made. He was bare but for the translucent slip of cloth he wore that resembled a hospital gown, his body streched out with his arms above his head. His feet were similarly bound, although they were touching the floor to reduce the stress on his shoulders and wrists. The chains and straps criss-crossed over his chest and also between his legs and over his thighs and calves, pinning him fimly in place even as he dozed fitfully, his head lolling limply to the side.

Kaibutsu longed to touch him, to tear off that cloth gag and force the proud brunet into submission. For a moment, he considered disregarding the rules and doing just that, going as far as to rise out of his seat. But then he remembered. His life was hanging in the balance here. Kaibutsu had been expressly warned- the price of the boy's virginity was his life.

Not only would his employer personally run him through for reducing the value of the stock significantly, but to force himself on the boy would require going into his tiny padded cell and unlocking the restraints on his legs and groin at the very least. It would be suicide to do such a thing, as the boy was a seasoned fighter and would not have any qualms about proving this to Kaibutsu.

Besides, the client would be here soon to inspect the goods, and it would be very bad for business if word got out that the merchandise here were actually second-hand.

With a glower, Kaibutsu settled himself further down in his chair, feeling it protest under his weight. His fingers itched incessantly as he quelled the urge to surrender to the urges that had been plaguing him since he had first laid his eyes on the fiesty brunet.

Glancing at his expensive watch, he let out a sigh. The client was due to arrive in less than a minute, although he expected the wealthy ambassador to be late as he usually was.

The young aristocrat had purchased goods from this slave dealers before. Afterall, they were the best at what they did, and those who could afford it always came to them.

So far, the ambassador had only purchased slaves for use as servants at his home in Konoha. Never once had he bought one to warm his bed for him, despite the impressive examples the dealers showed to him. He hadn't seemed at all interested. Kaibutsu was astounded that the aristocrat could go for so long without gratification, considering the fact that he left his ex-wife last year and still hadn't found another woman to pleasure him.

Kaibutsu took a sip of tepid coffee, slowly mulling this over in his mind. He couldn't fathom how the ambassador could possibly be so indifferent to the beautiful women he had presented. His eyes had raked over their bodies on occasion, but that was all. He normally chose a capable, level-headed young thing to serve as a maid.

Kaibutsu narrowed his eyes as realisation dawned on him. Perhaps therein lay the problem. Perhaps this ambassador had grown weary of women's wiles and had set his sights on a companion of the male variety. That would certainly explain his bored visage as Kaibutsu hopefully brought out barely clad ex-dancers and the once wealthy daughters of the nobles of the neighbouring Rain country, which the Fire country was currently at war with.

The chair creaked, protesting under Kaibutsu's weight as he leaned forward to look at the video feed showing the tightly-bound brunet. Maybe...maybe he should just leave the monitor screens on when the ambassador came in, just to see if the aristocrat showed any outward signs of interest. If so, then Kaibutsu would casually weave the slave into the current conversation in a subtle bid to get the young man to buy the attractive brunet. It would earn the slave dealer a lot of money, and, hopefully, Kaibutsu would receive a promotion and a payrise for his efforts.

He nodded to himself with satisfaction. If the ambassador still didn't seem interested, then it was a safe bet that he had decided to forgo intimacy for celibacy. In that case, the only think Kaibutsu could do was to keep selling those worker slaves to him and hope that he could find a wealthy dignitary to purchase the brunet.

Of course, it was highly unlikely that the ambassador was abstaining from sexual contact. Who did that nowadays, anyway? It was almost unheard of.

But Kaibutsu had to consider all the angles. Just in case.

Reaching towards the intercom, he pressed a red button, which patched him through to reception.

"Is he here yet?" he asked in the hoarse voice of a smoker.

"Yes, I've just sent him up," the receptionist replied in a clipped tone.

"Right," Kaibutsu grunted, and ended the call.

Barely five seconds later, the door swung open and in slouched a tall, lean man who was dressed casually. His black hair was pulled back into a spiky ponytail, and his eyes, while maintaining an appearance of boredom, managed to remain penetrating and intelligent.

"Nara-Sama," Kaibutsu mumbled with an awkward little bow.

"Sorogoto," the young man greeted disinterestedly.

"I take it that you've come to view the latest stock, Nara-Sama," Kaibutsu continued, too used to the ambassador's mannerisms to be bothered by the young man's impolite behaviour. Nara-Sama was a major source of income for the company, so he didn't really care as long as the ambassador continued to bring his custom to the slave dealers.

"Yeah," Nara-Sama replied, "How much is he?"

Without preamble, the aristocrat pointed at the monitor directly above Kaibutsu's head. Kaibutsu blinked stupidly.

"Wha-?" he asked slowly. Nara-Sama briefly quirked an eyebrow.

"How much is he?" he asked in a slightly slower voice, as though he was speaking to a small child or somebody with limited intelligence.

"7,000,000," Kaibutsu answered, his voice hitching slightly at the thought of so much money.

"Skills?"

"Uh...pardon?" Kaibutsu responded dumbly to the short question.

"What are his skills?" the ambassador asked, affecting an exaggerated eyeroll and a muttered "Troublesome." It was as though uttering three more syllables was too much effort for the notoriously lazy ambassador.

"We don't know much yet," Kaibutsu replied swiftly, keen to prove that he wasn't a complete invalid, "He only came in yesterday, and we've kept him restrained,"

"For your safety?" Nara-Sama asked, appearing inordinately amused by the thought.

"Yes, Nara-Sama," Kaibutsu replied, the admittance of his weakness and inadequecy leaving a bitter taste on his tongue, "He's a seasoned fighter. He killed most of the slavers who tried to catch him. They only managed to get him in the end because he was weak with hunger. Exhausted too, by the looks of it. One of my men used a knock-out drug on him when he let his guard down,"

"So he can fight," the ambassador said to himself with a smirk that seemed to be directed at Kaibutsu, "What else?"

"Well, he's a beauty," Kaibutsu responded, "And a virgin,"

Normally, then mention of that one word would cause the client in question to salivate at the mere thought. Kaibutsu didn't know why the prospect of stealing somebody's virginity was so alluring, but he wasn't about to complain. He supposed that it was the thought of the tightness of the body and the taste of power and left it at that. Why did it matter, anyway, when it got the company so much money?

Nara-Sama had always been a tricky one. Instead of responding predictably, he merely smirked.

"Those aren't skills, Soragoto," he said, his voice just shy of being patronising. Kaibutsu scowled.

"Well, that's all we know about him," he said defensively, "We couldn't risk untying him to see what his skills are. He's too dangerous,"

"What, couldn't you drug him again or something?" Nara-Sama asked. Kaibutsu paused, his mouth slightly open. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind, and he cursed himself for not thinking of it first. It was so obvious that he felt like slapping himself for his stupidity.

"Yes," Kaibutsu replied when he realised that Nara-Sama was looking at him expectantly with a slight glint of amusement in his dark eyes.

"Then, why didn't you?"

Kaibutsu was unable to form a reply to that. At least, not one that wouldn't make him look any stupider than what he ordinarily did.

This was why he hated dealing with Nara-Sama. Any other noble would come in, pick a pretty young thing to use whenever the need arose, and left. There was no worrying about his lower level of intellect or what he looked like. Those guys only had their eyes on the prize and didn't give a damn what the slave dealer was like.

Nara-Sama was startlingly different. He never actually bought a slave to satisfy his need for carnal pleasure, and didn't have any qualms about staring into Kaibutsu's eyes as though he was something interesting growing in a petri dish. It was unnerving, not to mention creepy.

In the end, Kaibutsu just shrugged in response Nara-Sama's question. The young aristocrat didn't ask, something which left Kaibutsu feeling a little grateful. However, this feeling was overshadowed by his sneering jealousy. The only reason Nara-Sama hadn't asked was because he already knew what was going through Kaibutsu's mind.

At 21, Nara-Sama was the youngest ever ambassador to serve the Fire Country.

He was also the most intelligent, with an I.Q that reputedly exceeded 200.

Kaibutsu could quite easily pass this off as a rumour. But he knew that rumours always had some basis in truth. Even if Nara-Sama wasn't _quite _as smart as that, his ability to deduce the solution to any given problem presented when he was performing his duties as ambassador, coupled with his talent in understanding the way peoples' minds worked and predicting their actions, were proof that he was very much a genius.

Presently, Nara-Sama was doing what he did best- regarding Kaibutsu with fixed interest and a glint in his eye. Kaibutsu squirmed under the scrutiny, amazed that he was wary of a slouching, eccentric aristocrat. It was almost as though he could see into Kaibutsu's mind.

_I wouldn't be surprised, _Kaibutsu thought derisively.

"So, you want him or not?" he asked, keeping his eyes locked on the floor in a gesture of submission. And because those dark eyes were way too penetrating for his comfort.

"Maybe after I talk to him," Nara-Sama shrugged, yawning hugely once he had finished speaking.

"T-Talk?" Kaibutsu stuttered almost fearfully.

"Yeah," Nara-Sama responded flatly, "You know, a conversation? I say something, he says something back?"

"I know what you mean," Kaibutsu said, "It's just...,"

"You're scared," Nara-Sama finished for him.

Kaibutsu felt an angry flush creep up his normally pallid face at this. He hated the thought of being called a coward.

"I'm not scared," he said indignantly, "I value my life. There's a difference,"

He winced as he realised that he had spoken disrespectfully to a wealthy client who could potentially ruin the company, but, luckily, Nara-Sama didn't seem offended.

"You _fear _for your life," Nara-Sama chuckled, "You wouldn't fear for your life if he didn't scare you,"

The ambassador was once again displaying his uncanny knack for manouvering his opponents into a corner through his clever words. Kaibutsu consoled himself that Nara-Sama had out-smarted much more intelligent people during his tenure as ambassador.

He shrugged noncommittally in response. Well, on his own head be it. If Nara-Sama wanted to talk to this beautiful yet dangerous young man, who was Kaibutsu to stand in his way?

"Right this way, please," he said, back to his client-friendly persona, "He's managed to escape once already since we bought him in. We haven't got any stronger ropes, so we've just had to double the amount we've used. You understand that I'm a bit wary of disturbing him,"

As he was speaking, he unlocked the huge steel door that led to the slave's prison, Nara-Sama following close behind.

"If you don't mind me asking," the young ambassador asked nonchalantly, "Why go to so much trouble for one slave?"

"Cause he's valuable," Kaibutsu grunted simply.

"Anything for money," Kaibutsu heard Nara-Sama grumble under his breath.

"When you only get paid as much as you sell, you don't get rid of somebody who's that much of a goldmine just 'cause he's dangerous," Kaibutsu responded.

"If you want to think that, go ahead," the ambassador yawned, "But I personally think you'd be better off looking for some defenceless virgins,"

"He _is _a virgin," Kaibutsu frowned, "Checked him myself,"

"He's not exactly defenceless, is he?" Nara-Sama pointed out.

"Hn," Kaibutsu grumbled, reaching the end of the coridoor. His keys jangled as he reached into his pocket to take them out. Selecting the correct one, he slid it into the old lock with a grating screeching sound, turning it with difficulty to open the thick steel door.

A rush of light poured into the room, illuminating the pale figure bound in the corner. With a small sound of discomfort, the slender man's eyelids slid open to reveal silver eyes framed by long dark lashes. Kaibutsu had to restrain himself. The boy sure was a beautiful specimin.

"What do you want?" the young man said, in a voice that was thick with sneering condescention.

Well, the brat was perfect until he opened that snobbish mouth. But everybody had to have at least one flaw, he supposed.

"Lord Nara Shikamaru of the noble Nara clan wished to view the new stock," Kaibutsu scorned in return. Predictably, the slim brunet bristled.

"You can send him away," the slave snapped imperiously, as though he expected Kaibutsu to obey, "I'm not part of this "new stock", so there is no reason for him to be here,"

"Not part of the new stock?" Kaibutsu laughed croakily, "Who told you that lie?"

"Nobody," the young man responded icily, "But I refuse to be sold. I won't bow to a filthy old man such as yourself, and I certainly won't be sharing an ugly noble's bed,"

Kaibutsu swelled with fury at the insult. The cheek of the brat! True, he was being made a slave, but, in Kaibutsu's eyes, that gave him no right to speak to his superiors in such a manner.

Raising his hand, he prepared to back-hand the pale young man across the face. He was gratified to see a hint of fear in the brunet's pale eyes.

Kaibutsu was disappointed when his chubby hand wasn't able to connect with that pale cheek. To leave his mark would be glorious, even if it wasn't the ideal mark he wished he could leave.

"What'dya do that for?" Kaibutsu grunted, pulling his hand out of Nara-Sama's strong grip with disappointment.

"I won't buy damaged goods," the ambassador yawned.

"Sorry," the slave dealer muttered abashedly. But Nara-Sama didn't seem to care for his apology. He was too busy staring intently at the bound brunet.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I don't think that's any of your business," the slender male responded coldly. To Kaibutsu's surprise, the aristocrat didn't reprimand the slave as he should have. Instead, he chuckled.

"Unless you want me to call you "slave" or something else to that effect, it would probably be best if you told me your name," Nara-Sama smirked, "Of course, I could always pick a name out for you..."

"Neji," the young man snapped, as though the word was a poison that he couldn't wait to spit out of his mouth.

"_Screw_?" Nara-Sama raised an eyebrow questioningly. Neji merely shrugged in response.

"So, what skills do you have?" the ambassador continued, stifling a huge yawn. Kaibutsu nearly rolled his eyes. This Nara-Sama, while brilliant, was notoriously lazy. Rumour had it that he slept for fourteen hours a day when not working.

"I'm not promiscuous, if that's what you mean," Neji replied, his pale eyes narrowed. Nara-Sama laughed.

"Soragoto claims that he can attest to that," the ambassador returned with a gesture towards the aforementioned man, causing Neji's angry gaze to flash towards Kaibutsu.

"Any Skills?" Kaibutsu interrupted loudly, hating the way that gaze made him feel to vulnerable. Neji was the one who was bound and imprisoned, not Kaibutsu, afterall.

"Will you leave me alone if I answer?" Neji asked, a sneer twisting his perfect face.

"Yeah, I guess," Kaibutsu grunted. Nara-sama could always finish this little Q&A himself.

"Fighting, riding, writing, singing, classical piano, painting and various other performing arts," Neji rattled off sullenly. Kaibutsu could almost taste the cash this one was going to get the company. His initial assessment was correct; the boy was a veritable gold mine.

"Noble clan?" Nara-sama asked.

"Hyuuga," Neji spat venomously. Kaibutsu's unkempt eyebrows shot up with surprise. It just kept getting better and better.

"The mercenary clan working for Rain?" Nara-sama queried. Neji didn't answer, but the stoniness of his eyes was all the validation anyone could need. Even Kaibutsu could tell this much, and he was of average intelligence.

"I see," Nara-sama said. Then, abruptly: "So, what was your mission?"

"Pardon?" Neji asked, appearing distinctly alarmed.

"Your mission," Nara-sama reitterated with a roll of his eyes, "You're here for a reason, right?"

"No," Neji responded, his white teeth glinting by the dim light as he gritted them, "Officially, I was cast out. In actuality, I abandoned my clan. It will be interesting to see how much they advance without me,"

The way he said it was so prideful, so confident, that it sent a shiver up Kaibutsu's spine. This young man, who was barely more than a child himself, had claimed the lives of some of the company's best slavers, many of whom were former mercenaries themselves. Obviously, this boy was not to be trifled with. Underestimating him was fatal.

Nara-sama, however, wasn't so easily impressed.

"A bit arrogant, don't you think?" he said with a small smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

"Perhaps," Neji conceded coldly, "But not undue arrogance, I should think. Even their leader was no match for me,"

"You were caught," Nara-sama pointed out, his smirk widening, "So you can't be that great,"

Neji stiffened, silvery veins spidering across his head from his eyes. Those pale orbs glowed eerily in the dim lighting as the pale slave's hands balled into fists by his sides.

"For your information, _Nara-sama_," Neji sneered, "Many of the men I killed were of Jounin level. And I managed to dispose of them even though I had not eaten or slept for four days. I very much doubt that you could accomplish so much,"

Kaibutsu would have reeled back with fear if he had been presented with that tirade from such a frightening individual. Those eyes...He knew very well that he was currently looking at the secret behind the Hyuuga Clan's power: the Byukagan. There was so much power behind those pale eyes. The ability to kill with the lightest touch of your finger was an impossibility for most people. For this clan, however, that was very much possible for a select few members. Currently, Fire country spies claimed that only two people within the entire of the Hyuuga Clan possessed this power: the leader and a young prodigy, who's rapid advancement had inspired raging jealousy in many other members of the clan.

Kaibutsu hadn't told anybody about the single tiny red mark that had been found on each of the dead slavers. He knew that the implication would not go unnoticed, and the Hokage would definitely want to bring the young man in for questioning, or else attempt to turn Neji's talents against his country. This would lose the company valuable money, and Kaibutsu was looking forward to the fat wad of cash he was going to get out of this deal.

However, he couldn't possibly sell Nara-sama this boy without making it explicitly clear that this young man was more deadly than his outward appearance suggested. If Nara-sama was killed, there would be an investigation into the company, and Kaibutsu would definitely lose his job once it became clear that he had sold Nara-sama the treacherous slave. He would have to tell Nara-sama, and hope that he was still willing (and crazy enough) to take Neji off his hands.

"Nara-sama, there's something you should know..." he began awkwardly.

"If it's about Neji being the Hyuuga Clan prodigy who is capable of killing me in an instant, save your breath," Nara-sama advised with a long yawn. Both Kaibutsu and Neji gaped at him.

"How did you know that?" Neji finally asked angrily.

"It's amazing what some people will say if you provoke them," Nara-sama responded, causing Neji to bristle like an angry cat.

"What do you mean?" Neji demanded, hackles rising.

"I wanted answers, but you weren't cooperating," Nara-sama explained, "So I used the oldest trick in the book: I wounded your pride. You couldn't possibly resist the opportunity to boast about how great you are, to prove me wrong. As they say- pride goeth before a fall,"

"Very clever," Neji snapped sourly, "I suppose you've heard all you wanted to? Am I free to return to sleep?"

"Yes to the first, no to the second," Nara-sama responded, appearing inordinately please with himself.

"And why is that?" Neji asked testily.

"Because," Nara-sama said slowly, "I'm buying you,"

The expression on the slim brunet's face was one of barely concealed contempt. Kaibutsu, however, didn't spot it. He was too busy salivating over the thought of that cut he was going to be taking from this sale.

...

...

**^^; Sooooo...:cough: As you can see, I've started yet another fic. Now, I know what you're all thinking: "What happened to updating The Beauty And The Beast/Chuushin Hyoukai/Arduous Dilemma?" (circle as appropriate). To put it bluntly, my friend, I'm currently suffering from a little something called "lackofmotivationandinspirationandalsocausesheslazy". I will update eventually, but I felt so bad for not updating that I thought I'd start another fic for you. At least it's something, right?**

**Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to Toribo0 and Headraline. You two are the ones who dragged me into ShikaNeji. You should join forces, I swear. You could take the fandom by storm. And also, Inashosetai, my good friend, and beta-but-not. XD**

**Ja ne, all!**

**TenshiXXX**


	2. Chapter 2

Please note that this story is entirely fictional. While the characters are not mine, the plot is. As such, I take liberties often when I write my fics. So when I say that Shikamaru is a Lord, even though he's only heir to the clan, that's just how it is. The same goes for other details.

Chapter 2:

Hyuuga Neji's pale eyes snapped open as he bolted upright, startling the blond woman who was gently feeding him miso soup through his barely parted lips. He was amazed that she had attempted something so dangerous; he could have choked on it in his drug-induced stupor and ultimately perished.

"You could have killed me," he said acidly to the cowering woman.

"I'm sorry!" she protested, "But Shikamaru said it would be ok if I-"

"Who?" Neji interjected, his silver-lilac eyes meeting her's dead on. She flinched and looked down, and Neji allowed himself a moment to feel triumphant. He may have been a lowly slave now, but he was still feared.

"L-Lord Nara Shikamaru," the blond woman stammered, "T-The ambassador of Fire Country, heir to the Nara Clan a-and Personal Advisor to the Hokage,"

"If he's only _heir _to the Nara Clan," Neji asked for the sake of being difficult, "Why is he considered a Lord?"

"It was a title granted to me because of my services to Fire Country," came a familiar lazy drawl, "Not that it's any of your business,"

Neji turned his head and glared at the tall figure lounging in the doorframe, arms and ankles crossed as his brown eyes surveyed Neji boredly.

"I think it _is _ my business, as you are the one who so graciously forced me into a life of servitude," Neji responded in a voice of cold fire. Far from being offended by Neji's accusations, he raised an eyebrow and entered the large room.

"Actually," he explained as he walked, "I think you'll find that you would have been a slave even if I hadn't bought you. Be thankful that I did,"

"Why should I be thankful?" Neji asked in an affronted tone. Turning his bored gaze to Neji's eyes, Nara-sama sent Neji a look which probably would have been incredulous could the young man be bothered to show any facial expression beyond annoyed or disinterested.

"Can't you figure it out?" he asked. Neji bristled indignantly, like a soaked cat.

"No, I can't," he snapped sarcastically, "Please, enlighten me,"

Nara-sama sighed and stretched, looking very miffed that he was being forced to have an actual conversation.

"Look," he said, with the air of a man being forced to perform a terribly tedious task, "You're pretty attractive. I'm not going to tell you not to let that go to your head because, judging by that attitude problem of your's, your ego's probably already as big as a house,"

Neji glowered darkly at him and opened his mouth to deliver a barbed retort, but Nara-sama over-rode his protests.

"So from the moment you were caught," Nara-sama continued, "It was obvious what kind of a slave you'd be,"

"What kind?" Neji asked.

"Are you really that naiive?" Nara-sama rolled his eyes rudely, sounding annoyed at Neji's apparent lack of intelligence. Neji glared acidically, wishing he could wipe that look of that man's smug face. But the drug had left him weak, and, noticing the katana strapped to the ambassador's back for the first time, Neji concluded that he was armed and probably knew how to use it. So that was out.

"I'm not naiive," Neji responded tonelessly, keen to conceal his true emotions from this young Lord. Nara-sama had already seen so much of what he hid behind the mask of cold efficiency. If Neji didn't get it back under control, Nara-sama was going to know all of his weaknesses, and would probably exploit him.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Nara-sama asked rudely, wrenching Neji out of his thoughts. Without waiting for a reply, he sat down on the edge of Neji's bed and continued, "Obviously, you'd be sold as a sex slave,"

The blond woman gaped, but Neji paid her no attention.

"I'd sooner die than submit to a decrepit old man," Neji growled furiously, wishing now, more than ever, that he could get up and pound this know-it-all noble's face through the ground.

"That's exactly what would happen if you _did _refuse," Nara-sama said wryly, causing Neji to freeze.

"I'd be killed because I wouldn't consent to sex with a perverted fool?" he asked, unable to conceal the horror that this concept evoked.

"Yup," Nara-sama responded with a pitying sigh.

"That's barbaric," Neji protested angrily, "As if they'd dare, anyway. I'd kill them all if they even thought of touching me, let alone executing me unfairly,"

"And _they're _barbaric?" Nara-sama asked rhetorically with a small snort.

"Yes," Neji defended, "What gives them the right to decide whether I live or die?"

"By law, you're property," Nara-sama explained impatiently, "And people can do what they want with their property,"

Neji fell silent, digesting this unwelcome inconvenience. In his eyes, he wasn't a citizen of the country he was currently trapped in, so he therefore wasn't subject to their laws. However, it appeared that everybody else had other ideas.

Then it dawned on him. Ignoring the bone-deep ache within his limbs that spoke of too much confinement and not enough food, he leapt to his feet, pleased that he stood at the same height as this Nara-sama.

"And I suppose you intend to use me in the same way?" Neji spat, almost trembling with rage. The blond woman nearby cowered noticably and scuttled out of the room like a spider fleeing the light. To Neji's displeasure, Nara-sama did not respond in a similar way, merely raising an eyebrow boredly at this display.

"No," he replied, striking Neji dumb momentarily, "I never gave any indication in our conversation that I plan on forcing myself on you. You came to that conclusion all on your own,"

With that enigmatic statement, the young Lord turned and left the room, leaving Neji alone with his thoughts, a bowl of steaming soup over turned on the floor.

He certainly was an eccentric young man. Throughout his life, Neji had never met a person who could throw him in the same way that this Nara-sama, and it unnerved him. He was so used to being in control, so used to manipulating people, that he had forgotten what it felt like to be on the receiving end of such behaviour. Of course, his family had tried to bend him to their will, but he was like an old piece of iron- he broke, but he didn't bend. They had learned that the hard way.

He idly wondered whether they had found the body of his Grandfather yet, and concluded that they must have, and were probably at present trying to find him within Rain country.

_Fools, _Neji thought derisively, watching the miso soup spread across the wooden floor. They would be furious when he faced them in battle in the future. Because he intended to do just that. Once he had convinced this Nara-sama of his worth as a warrior and assassin, he was going to swear allegence to the leader of the very country he had once fought against so ferociously. He could hardly wait to exact his revenge, to make his family sorry for everything they had ever done to him.

With that thought in mind, he stretched, wincing at the unexpected ache in his arms and legs. It wouldn't do to simply sit here all day. That would not be productive in the slightest. However, he didn't know whether there was anything preventing him from leaving the room. He would rather not be blasted backwards by some invisible protective barrier.

Activating his byukagan, he was shocked to find that there was nothing to prevent him from walking out of that door. He couldn't believe that this Lord Nara Shikamaru had left the door wide open for Neji to simply walk out whenever he wanted to. Gingerly, he stuck his hand through the door. Still nothing. After a moment, he realised that there really _was _nothing preventing him from leaving.

He bit his lip thoughtfully, and decided to take the plunge, regardless of the consequences. Keeping his eyes wide open, he stepped through the door way unharmed.

"You didn't think Shikamaru would imprison you in your room, only letting you out to perform tasks for him, did you?" Neji heard a feminine voice giggle.

"Truthfully, yes," Neji answered, locking eyes on the young woman who had spoken. She had green eyes that glinted with laughter. They should have clashed with her pink hair, yet they did not. Her figure was slim and boyish, and her smile was kind yet bright.

"Well, you don't need to worry," she said, "Shikamaru opposes slavery in all its forms,"

Neji blinked. It was the only sign of surprise he let her see.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"Exactly what I just said," she said, "I'm Sakura, by the way. Haruno Sakura,"

"Hyuuga Neji," Neji replied mechanically as he digested her words.

"Ah, the Hyuuga Clan prodigy Shikamaru was talking about!" Sakura exclaimed with a bright smile. Neji was taken aback. He had never met somebody as happy as her before.

She saw the look on his face and correctly interpretted it.

"If you think I'm bad, wait till you meet Naruto!" she laughed, "I don't suppose you've ever met anyone who smiles, being part of the Hyuuga Clan and all,"

Neji shook his head mutely. "Emotions are a sign of weakness," he intoned flatly.

To his surprise, Sakura threw back her head and laughed.

"Don't let Naruto hear you saying that!" she said, wagging a finger admonishingly, yet her smile showed that she was joking, "Well, not unless you want a 15 minute rant on love and bonds. It's nearly as bad as listening to his "Sasuke is a bastard" speech."

"Judging by your limited explaination of this Naruto character, I don't think I would like to meet him," Neji responded.

"That's what most people think, but he's really a great guy in small doses," Sakura joked. Neji nodded as though he understood, when he really didn't. He just wanted to get away from this chattering woman. However, he had to keep her happy long enough for him to ask a burgeoning question.

"If I am not to be a slave, why did Nara-sama buy me?" he inquired, moving the conversation onto more important topics. He needed answers. Her enigmatic explanation had left him more confused that he had been since he had first been captured by Fire country slavers. At least when Nara-sama had bought him, he had known what was expected of him, no matter how much he resisted. Now, however, he had just been told that he would not be forced into a life of servitude. But where did that leave him?

"I wouldn't know," Sakura shrugged, her expression becoming a little more sombre, "He does this every few months. He buys a random slave and has them work for him on a salary, just like any ordinary worker in Fire Country. Like I said, he hates slavery and would gladly see it abolished. But, unfortunately, it would take time to convincing the council of elders that banishing slavery is the right thing to do. So he does what he can in the meantime. Sasuke started doing the same recently, too. But I think that was just because Naruto kept nagging him,"

She paused in her monologue when she realised that Neji was sending her a decidedly blank look.

"You...don't talk much, do you?" she asked awkwardly, scuffing the floor with her sandle rather than looking up into Neji's handsome face.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Neji asked dryly, watching a flush creep up her pale cheeks.

"There's no need to be rude!" she snapped, balling her hands into fists, "I was only trying to be friendly!"

"How very weak of you," he retorted scathingly.

"Don't you know that forming bonds make a person stronger?" Sakura demanded, looking directly into his eyes now. He didn't like the complete lack of fear that was evident on her face.

"It will only get you killed one day," he responded haughtily.

"To fear love is to fear life!" Sakura snarled, "And those who fear life are already three parts dead!"

Neji threw back his head and laughed, watching her flinch with twisted amusement. It was a shame. He'd always been told that he had a beautiful laugh by his father. He wondered if the events over the past 17 years had really changed him so much that the evidence of his amusement was now the chillingly jaded laugh of a man who had seen too much, rather than the soft chime of innocence it once was.

"So naive," he said, his pale gaze boring into the young woman, "If you love, you hurt. I won't be one of those fools who hurt. If you want to wear you heart on your sleeve, do so at your own peril. I'll only be right in the end,"

For a moment, Sakura looked as though she was about to rush at him and punch him. He nearly laughed at the thought. Let her. He'd show her what happened when you tried to take on a mercenary from the Hyuuga Clan.

However, that moment passed, and Sakura's expression morphed into one of pity. Now it was Neji's turn to become infuriated, but he didn't let it show on his face. It was as he had told her: emotions were a sign of weakness, and she _would _find out in the end, when she lay dying, bleeding sluggishly because she had tried to protect a friend.

"I think I would rather die loved," Sakura said softly, "Than live unloved,"

She turned and walked away, looking disappointed in him. He knew why. She had obviously thought that this Nara-sama character would only buy good little slaves who were sweet and kind and didn't mind listening to her idle chatter. Well, if he wasn't a complete contriety to those expectations, he didn't know who was. Hopefully, she had gotten the message that, no, he didn't want to be friends. Even if he wanted any friends at all, he would never befriend somebody who talked so much and was so incessantly _happy_. The bubbly candy-floss aura that surrounded the girl made his teeth ache from the sugary-sweetness.

Nevertheless, her words unsettled him. They brought forth memories that were best left untouched. He remembered what it was like to love somebody so completely, only to have them ripped away from him in the end. The pain was inconceivable. It was like a gaping flesh wound had been dealt to his heart, leaving the tissue to dangle free as he screamed through the pain. He didn't want to experiance that again. He was better off alone.

He decided to explore the house. It would take his mind off the past at least. He took off in a random direction, alert for anything out of the ordinary. He was still a mercenary, afterall, and one of the best aswell.

His keen ears soon picked up the sound of a angry feminine voice, and the quieter, unmistakable sound of the lazy Lord answering her. He didn't want to miss a valuable opportunity to find out some information on this Lord, knowing that a bargaining chip would be infinitely useful later on. Quietly, he made his way to the door, pressing his ear to the keyhole.

However, it seemed that sneaking around was pointless. The door was jerked open, and Neji only barely saved his face and his pride through his superior balance.

"If you wanted to come in, you could have knocked,"

Neji made certain that his eyes shone with cold fury as he glared at the inordinately amused Lord, who seemed to enjoy the fact that he had nearly caused the Hyuuga prodigy to smash his handsome face on the expensive wooden flooring.

"Shikamaru! I'm talking to you!"

"And I'm ignoring you," Nara-sama replied, sounding much more bored than the blond woman kneeling on the floor, sipping green tea with more ferocity than was warranted. Neji almost raised an eyebrow, but refrained at the last minute.

"Shikuro wants to visit you," the blond woman said, and, while her tone was business-like, her eyes betrayed her desperation.

"He's not my son, Temari," Nara-sama responded, looking surprisingly untroubled. Neji could barely contain himself. Infidelity?

"You were the first to hold him!" Temari shouted, leaping up, "You cared for him as much as I did! You _love _him! He _is _your son!"

"Not biologically," Nara-sama said boredly, "Look, can't this wait for another time?"

"No!" Temari answered, her eyes filling up with tears. Neji was beginning to feel uncomfortable, and inwardly scoffed at the pair of them. Relationships were more destructive than war. He was willing to bet that more people died because of love than due to conflict every year. And even if you weren't in it for the love, it could still come back to haunt you later on.

"No?" Nara-sama asked, a single eyebrow raised.

"I'm not leaving until you promise to at least talk to our son," Temari said.

"_Your _son," Nara-sama corrected her. Neji could almost detect a hint of sadism in his calm gaze, and wondered if this Nara-sama was enjoying this more than he was letting on.

"_Our _son!" Temari shouted tearfully, "_We _raised him for two years,"

"Alright, alright," Nara-sama groaned, "I'll see him. But I refuse to see you again. Neji, would you mind showing my ex-wife out?"

Neji almost said no, simply to be defiant. He even went so far as to open his mouth. But then he decided against it. Perhaps he could glean a little more information about this family secret from what she said. Afterall, he needed all the leverage he could get, just in case things went badly for him.

That didn't mean he was going to be courteous, though. With a cold look, he turned, dark hair fanning out behind him. He nearly growled when he realised that somebody had bathed and dressed him while he was unconscious. He should have noticed something like that before. He was slipping. He firmly resolved to pull himself together in the future. It would be unbecoming of the Hyuuga prodigy to die from a knife wound in the back because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.

Although he didn't actually know the way out, he was able to find his way easily by briefly activating his byukagan. As he walked, he didn't bother to see if Temari was following him, trusting that she would follow. He knew she had gotten what she had wanted. She wasn't as adept at hiding her emotions as her ex-husband, and Neji had seen the way her eyes had lit up when Nara-sama had said that he would talk to her son. Therefore, she would be leaving without a struggle.

"Are you a slave?"

Neji paused mid-stride to stare down at Temari. To her credit, she held her ground.

"I could cut the throats of everybody in this household if I so choose to," Neji said, almost as though he was considering it.

"Yet that wouldn't change what you are," Temari stated, "Are you or are you not a slave?"

"Yes," he said curtly, "Although I don't consider myself as such. I've certainly insulted your ex-husband often enough during the past few hours,"

"What kind of a slave?"

She sounded suspicious. Neji almost smirked.

"A sex slave," he said, "Not that it's any business of your's. Afterall, you are no longer married to Nara-sama,"

She fell into a sullen sort of silence after that. Neji was pleased that he'd put her in her place. Unfaithful women were the most dangerous creatures in the world. They would get their kicks, and then stand back to watch the fireworks. He didn't like them on principle, and he always made it known to them.

They reached the entrance of the large house in no time. Neji stood back to allow her to exit. She paused, half way out of the house, her _wagasa _hanging at her side from her limp fingers, rather than shading her head as it should.

"Hyuuga," she said. Neji wasn't terribly surprised that she knew who he was. Afterall, the members of the Hyuuga Clan all had very distinctive eyes, which made them quite easy to recognise in broad daylight.

"Yes," he answered.

"Take care of him,"

And then she was gone, leaving Neji to glare at nothing in particular as he puzzled the meaning behind her words. For the first time since he was four years old, he was unsure, and it annoyed him. What had she meant by that parting sentence? Surely she didn't expect Nara-sama and Neji to develop some sort of a romantic affair. The very idea was preposterous.

Hyuuga Neji didn't even love himself, let alone everybody else. He had lost count of the number of times he had been tempted to smash a mirror because the very sight of his reflection infuriated him beyond reason.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I can't believe how crappy this is -_-;;

Well, I hope everybody likes this chapter anyway. Please understand that I am in the middle of important exams at the moment, and I am therefore unable to write as much as I usually do. My apologies. I hope the little twist at the end is intriguing enough. I don't want to give too much away, but there's more to Temari's "affair" than there appears.

Ja ne, all!

TenshiXXX


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